118 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 11, 1892. 
o" this article, for we are bound to do all that is possible to dispel 
the ignorance which still lingers among tillers of the land, to their 
hindrance and harm. Now, we should much like to ask such men 
what is meant exactly by the remark to which we take exception. 
Can they give an intelligible explanation of it ? If by taking 
much out of the land a full crop of exceptional abundance is 
meant, we should then ask if that is not the end and aim of all » 
sensible manure application ? The matter is important—far more 
so than is commonly supposed, and attention may be usefully 
drawn to it now, just before we enter upon the work of another 
seed time. 
What, we ask, is the object of every farmer in applying manure 
to land ? Is it not that the crops sown or planted may obtain 
sufficient nutriment from it to develop fully in every part—stem, 
branch, leaf, seed, and root ? It is well known that no form of 
manure enables crops to do this so freely as nitrate of soda, and 
that is why it is said to “draw the land.” Yet the land does not 
alter in character after the crop is harvested or consumed ; it is 
there ready to yield another crop equally abundant, if only more 
manure is applied at the proper time. The fact is so simple, so 
clear, so easy of comprehension, that one wonders how there can 
be any doubt or misunderstanding about it. Perhaps the best, or 
in point of fact the only way to make the matter clear, is to go 
on using chemical manures year after year, and thus show how 
full crops can always be had. Yet, even when this is done, we dare 
not feel confident that it will carry conviction to minds warped and 
clouded by ignorance and prejudice. It has fallen within our 
experience that some farmers hesitate to hire farms that have been 
in the landlord’s hands, and have been rendered productive by the 
steady periodical application of chemical manure. We know 
several farms in hand that were so treated, which came to yield a 
better rent than was paid by the tenants of other farms on the 
same estate. A change of agents led to a cessation of the use 
of chemical manures, a heavy expenditure upon live stock for 
the manufacture of farmyard manure was followed by such a 
serious falling off in bulk of crops that profit was out of the 
question. Some of the farms were eventually let go out of 
cultivation, others were let at nominal rents, which barely 
afforded means to pay tithe rent charges. In this instance it was 
the owner of the land that suffered ; he deserved to if he could 
not appreciate good management, or had not given sufficient 
attention to agriculture to know what was for or against his own 
interests. 
We are not writing in the interest of a class, but in that of 
both owners and occupiers of land, knowing, as we well do, that one 
cannot thrive at the expense of the other. To landlords we say, 
then. Test the comparative value of manures upon your home farm, 
trust nothing but results ; prove, as you so easily can do, the 
economy and efficiency of chemical manures, then invite your 
tenants to see for themselves what maybe done by such means. 
There can be no doubt that the general average of farm produce 
is much lower than it should be. The reason is obvious. In crops it 
arise? from bad tillage, foul wet land, inferior seed, insufficient 
manure. Said a Bucks farmer to us recently, “ My Oats pay well, 
they dress easily up to an average of 52 lbs. per bushel ; they a’-e 
C ifter’s Cluster, and an excellent Oat it is. If it were worth while, 
an extra turn through the screen would bring the weight up to a 
still higher average.” Now we had heard and seen enough of our 
friend’s practice to know that it was equally sound in seed selec¬ 
tion and in every other detail. 
In Bast Anglian markets a 12 stone Oat—i.c.. Oats weighing 
12 stones of 14 lbs. per comb of 4 bushels, or 42 lbs, per bushel, 
is regarded as a sample of much excellence altogether above the 
average, which is often nearer 9 stones, or a fraction under 
32 lbs. per bushel. Yet simply by his high standard of culture 
the Bucks farmer has Oats 10 to 20 lbs. heavier per bushel than 
the ordinary Oat of commerce, consequently he has no difficulty 
in obtaining a price proportionately higher. The Oats he had 
just got cleaned were going into the stables of a nobleman. Such 
a farmer undoubtedly has full and profitable crops. He deserves to 
have them. At the outset he was careful to hire only sound land 
of good staple, first taking only one farm well within his means, 
making that answer so well that more and more land has been 
acquired, till he now holds 1000 acres. Such ab’e men suffer 
comparatively little loss from an adverse season, energy and ample 
means enabling them always to be well forward with their 
work, and to seize every favourable opportunity of weather to 
sow or harvest crops that are full, abundant, and are also almost 
invariably of high quality. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Land ploughed early is now in splendid condition, and a good seed 
bed may be relied upon early in the season. Ploughing goes steadily 
on, but we fear the wet land so ploughed must be late in coming into 
condition for use. Laggards there always will be among us, but their 
faulty practice is not to be taken as a guide for ordinary work. To 
those who are well forward with tillage, we say, Be ready for an early 
opportunity for sowing. February has come in with a brisk drying 
wind, and it may be that we are to have land sufficiently dry for early 
sowing as we did last year. If so, much spring Wheat is likely to be 
sown. We do not advise extreme measures with spring corn, as no 
change of weather is likely to cause prices to rise very high. Every 
market fluctuation here is known at once at the leading centres of 
supply all over the world, and we may rest assured that high prices for 
farm produce are altogether a thing of the past. Home markets are 
constantly being felt or largely supplied by foreign growers. Last year 
e?g8 from Canada and Apples from Tasmania were novelties ; this year 
they will be firmly established in our markets. Now we have Australian 
eggs and Australian butter; of the first a trial consignment; of the 
last a supply that is making its way into our provincial markets. It is 
nice sweet butter, slightly salted, and admirably packed, which is 
retailed at Is. 4d. per lb., and is altogether preferable to most of the 
overworked, flavourless, continental butter. 
Lambing is going on well, especially on upland farms, where the 
pastirre is sound and dry. A run on short sweet grass, crushed oats, and 
chaff in the troughs, with a liberal allowance of cattle Cabbage, keeps 
the ewes going well, and there are no losses to record so far. We shall 
push on the lambs as soon as they can eat, for we have no faith in any 
possibility of profit upon animals that are half fed and brought slowly to 
maturity. Wich imported mutton at Sjd. per pound by the carcase the 
outlook is not bright. Sheep, however, if well managed always pay 
their way. We have nothing like them for manuring the land thoroughly 
and cheaply, and if only we select well, breed well, and feed well there 
is money in them still. Give all possible attention to shelter; let it 
always go together with careful feeding and general good management, 
then losses will be rare, and progress will be fully in proportion to the 
care, judgment, and skill bestowed upon the flock. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMnES Squarb, Loxnox. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40” N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.ir. 
Isr THE Day. 
Rain 
1892. 
January 
and February. 
ID' 
2 
o n 
5-^ © 
^ o- 
Hygrometer. 
Direc¬ 
tion of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of soil 
at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sim 
On 
Grass. 
Inchs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inchs. 
Sunday .. 
31 
30.145 
46.7 
45.2 
X. 
41.8 
50.9 
46.5 
69.8 
45.4 
— 
Monday .. 
1 
29.597 
47.0 
44.6 
s.w. 
42.1 
48.2 
45.0 
51.1 
40.8 
0.066 
Tuesday .. 
2 
29.343 
36.? 
33.2 
w. 
40.9 
43.1 
35.6 
71.0 
29 7 
0.102 
Wednesday 
3 
29.264 
39.1 
37.1 
w. 
39.2 
44.8 
35.0 
70.3 
30.7 
— 
Thursday.. 
4 
29.758 
32.7 
31.6 
s.w. 
38.2 
43.1 
29.4 
66.1 
23.3 
0.018 
Friday 
5 
29.614 
40.0 
38.4 
w. 
3S.5 
48.8 
32.2 
77.6 
29.8 
— 
Saturday .. 
6 
29.876 
41.8 
39.4 
w. 
38.7 
48.9 
38.2 
56.8 
32.9 
0.020 
29.657 
40.6 
38.5 
39.9 
47.1 
37.4 
66.1 
33.2 
0.206 
REMARKS 
31st.—Rain early, and dull till about 10.30 aju., then bright sunshine till 2 pun., and 
occasionally after. 
1st.—Dull, damp morning ; heavy rain at 1 p.m., bright sunshine a5ter 3 p.m. 
2nd.—Brilliant morning, clouded over at 0.30 p.m. and frequent showers after 1.30 p.m., 
snow shower (large flakes) from 3.35 to 3.40 p.m., bright again after. 
3rd.—Damp early ; bright sunshine throughout the day, except for an hour or two at 
noon. 
4th.—Sunny morning ; cloudy afternoon, drizzle from 4 p.m., and slight showers in 
evening. 
5th.—Bright sunshine almost throughout, lunar halo and corona at 11 p.m. 
Cth.—Cloudy morning; slight showers in afternoon and evening. 
A mild week, almost spring-like.—(J. J. Sysioks. 
